Dispensing container



y 21, 1964 R. E. PALMER DISPENSING CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1963 iii INVENTOR. QoeseT E. PALMER flTTOEA/EY July 21, 1964 R. E. PALMER 3,141,597

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Sept. 11, 1963 INVENTOR. P205527 5. DALME/z I w waiw ATTORNEY.

July 21, 1964 R. E. PALMER 3,141,597

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Sept. 11, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet 3 a a9 42 4/ 0 l2 W 3; I m i I 44 26 l i i u 7/ 27 b {/29 ag l l u g .2 2 1 1 a l l i i I I "Kih INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed Sept. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 308,170 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates in general to packaging and more particularly to disposable, self-sustaining, liquid dispensing cartons of paper, plasticized fiber-board, or the like.

The invention finds particular, but by no means eX- clusive, utility in cartons adapted for distributing milk and other dairy products.

A carton of the foregoing character is customarily erected from a flat blank of sheet material which has been given an appropriate pattern of score lines, the latter serving to define a plurality of side panels together with corresponding upper and lower panel extension flaps, or closure members.

Conducive to a better understanding of the invention it may be Well to point out that heretofore, such milk cartons have had either a fiat closure top, or a so-called gable top, neither of which have truly sanitary pouring lips that could gain the approval of health authorities, but are merely tolerated for want of something better.

Furthermore, these cartons have other draw-backs, such as inability to stack the gable top type, which limits the number of such milk cartons that can be placed on market or refrigerator shelves.

Again, while the fiat top type can be stacked, their flat tops collect any spilled liquid or moisture from melting ice, so that the user is in danger of being splashed with this retained liquid when such stacked cartons are handled, unless extreme care is observed.

With both types of conventional paper cartons the pouring lip is always subject to contamination by the users fingers while being opened.

While there are some cartons on the market which are Supposed to flip open without requiring the fingers to touch their pouring lip, even these require special knowhow on the part of the user, and therefore the average user just inserts his finger in the lip, and pulls.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a milk dispensing container having incorporated in its top end closure an exensible, sanitarily protected, pouring lip, in a spout which may be opened by means of a pull tab, for precise, dripless dispensing of its contents.

Another object is to provide a container of the type stated, whose pull tab is automatically held back from the forward edge of the pouring lip, so that liquid passing over the lip cannot be contaminated by the pull tab.

Another object is to provide a container of the type stated, having an inclined closure top with four upstanding spaced ears for supporting a similar container on top of it, in stacked engagement.

Still another object is to provide such a container having finger holes in its ears to aid in both lifting the container and in tilting it for ease in pouring.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blank susceptible of being formed into a container of the character set forth above.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification, taken together with the accompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the milk dispensing container that is the subject of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing two of the 3,141,597 Patented July 21, 1964 containers illustrated in FIGURE 1, in stacked arrangement;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the container in its closed and sealed condition;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of the container;

FIGURE 5 is a right end view of the same;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 66 of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the container, showing the pouring spout in a partially open position;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view showing the container held in a hand in pouring position, with a finger through one of the ear holes, and with the spout in its fully extended position; and,

FIGURE 9 is a plan view detailing the inside face of a blank from which the container of FIGURE 1 may be constructed.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in FIGURE 1 the dispensing container that is the subject of this invention, broadly indicated by reference numeral 10.

The container 10 is self-sustaining in shape and disposable, being preferably formed from plasticized fiberboard, although it is to be understood that paper or other suitable materials, coated or impregnated with a substance to render it fluid-tight and capable of holding liquids, such as milk, may be used.

The container 10 comprises a four sided tubular body of substantially square cross-section, having a fiat bottom closure, and a four sided, inclined, upper closure capable of being opened by means of a pull tab 60, and also having four, spaced, upstanding ears 62, 63, 64 and 65 which act as stacking supports for retaining a second container placed thereon, as seen in FIGURE 2.

Preferably, the container 10 is fashioned from a blank 71, of heavy plasticized fiber-board, the inside face of such a blank being illustrated in FIGURE 9.

Plasticized fiber-board is used because it not only has excellent liquid tight properties, but also has a heat responsive surface that may be self-sealed by the application of heat to selected-areas, without the need of additional adhesive materials.

By means of an appropriate pattern of score lines, the

7 blank 71 is divided into a plurality of panels and areas v be folded, in order to facilitate the erection of the container.

A dotted line indicates that the score line is on the top surface of the blank; a dash-dot-dash line indicates that the score line is on the bottom surface of the blank, and a solid line indicates a cut through line.

The central, and major, area of the blank 71 becomes the body of the container, and is defined by spaced apart transverse score lines 25 and 26, running in substantially parallel relation from edge to edge of the blank.

Intersecting the lines 25 and 26, at spaced intervals therealong, are a series of perpendicular score lines 27, 28, 29 and 30, which define, in the central and major area of the blank, side panels 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The panels 11 and 15, taken together, are slightly greater in width than the panels 12, 13 or 14, so they may be overlapped in sealed engagement when the container is erected, to form the fourth wall (1115) with the seal line 69, as

v seen in FIGURES 5 and 7.

These closure flaps are defined by cut through scores 21, 22, 23 and 24, and are foldable into overlapping edge engagement, and heat sealed, to form the usual fiat bottomed closure.

Integral with the upper ends of the side panels, but separated therefrom by the score line 26, are a plurality of substantially triangular and trapezoidiform panel extensions which, serve to give the top of the container its characteristic inclined and cared shape.

Score lines 45, 46 and 63 define an isosceles trapezoidal extension 32 of the rear panel 12. Score lines 4%, 5t} and 57 define a second isosceles trapezoidal extension 34 of front panel 14.

Score lines 47 and 48 define a triangular extension 33, of side panel 13.

Score lines 44 and 51, taken together, define triangular extensions 31 and 35 of the end panels 11 and i5, respectively, which when joined in overlapping sealed engagement, in the erected container, form a single triangular extension (3135), the same size as the triangular extension 33.

Score lines 53, being extensions of score lines 27, 28, 29 and 3t define with score lines 44, as, 46, 47, 4-8, 49, 5d and S1, triangularly shaped extension sections 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37 and 36, respectively. Sections 4%, ll, 42 and 43 have circular finger grip holes 52, cut therethrough.

Reference numeral 69 indicates a pull tab extension positioned along the top score line 57 of the trapezoidiform panel 34. Reference numeral 54 indicates a protective flap extension positioned along the top score line 63 of trapezoidiform panel 32.

To transform the blank 71 into the erected container 10, illustrated in FIGURE 1, the blank '71 is folded upon itself, and the outer edges of panels 11 and 15 are overlapped and heat-sealed, along the line 69, to form a tube of square cross-section, and the bottom closure is completed.

The container is then filled with the liquid to be held therein, and its top closure parts are folded together, as described hereinafter, to form the top closure.

A study of FIGURES l and 3 will indicate that when the container is erected, for filling, the, two trapezoidiform roof panels 34- and 32 will be in opposition, while the triangular roof panels 33 and (3135) will also be in opposition.

Each of the adjacent roof panels 32, 33, 34 and (3-1-35) are joined through paired, flanking, triangular sections, formed integral therewith, namely, sections 36, 37, 33, 39, 4t), 41, 42 and 43, as can be most clearly seen in FIG- URE 9.

The trapezoidiform roof panels 32 and 34 are folded inward toward each other until their top edges 63 and 57 abut against each other. This leaves the panels 32 and 34 in an inclined position, hingedly joined at their base ends 26 to the body panels 12 and 14 respectively.

At the same time the triangular side roof panels 33 and (3ll35) will also be tilted inward into opposition against the ends of the edges 68 and 57 of the roof panels 32 and 34, as seen in FIGURE 3.

Simultaneously, the paired triangular sections will be folded upon themselves to form four, two-ply, upstanding ears 62, 63, 64- and 65, extending from the four corners of the container along the edges of the upwardly inclined roof panels 32, 33, 34 and (3135).

To be specific, sections 36 and 37 fold against each other to form car 64. Folded sections 38 and 39 form ear 65. Folded sections 40 and 41 form ear 63. Folded sections 42 and 43 form car 62. The apices 61 of the erected ears 63, 62, 64 and 65, lie in a common plane parallel to that of the bottom closure.

Bars 62 and 63, bounding What has become roof panel 32, have finger holes52 therethrough.

The extension 60, of the front roof panel 34 is bent upward at score line 57 and then bent downward against itself at score line 58 to form a two-ply upstanding lip 72, extending the width of the upper edge 57 of the trapezoidiform panel 341. The extension is then bent out ward at score line 59 to form a pull tab, which normally lies against the upper face of panel 34, as is seen most clearly in FIGURE 6.

The extension 54, of rear roof panel 32, is bent upward along score line 68 and downward at score line 56, to overlie the upstanding lip 72, as seen most clearly in FIGURES 3 and 6, to form a protective covering for lip 72.

The several opposed surfaces of the ears, lip and protective cover, are heat sealed, as indicated by the wavy dotted line 7%, to form a liquid-tight closure top for the container 10.

The top closure may be easily opened by gripping the finger tab 6@ and pulling forward, which causes the protective cover flap 54 to peel off the lip 72, as is seen in FIGURE 7. Further pulling will effect separation of the inner plys 37 and 38 of the ears 64 and 65, respectively, which swing forward with the front roof panel 34 to form a pouring spout, with the lip 72 centered therein, as seen in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 8 also illustrates how the container 10 may be comfortably held, in pouring position, in a hand 66, by passing the forefinger 67 thereof through the opening 52 in one of the ears 63.

As seen in FIGURE 8, the natural resiliency of the tab 69 causes it to seek its original shape and to bend backward, away from the pouring edge 58 of the lip 72, thereby keeping it clear of the liquid being poured.

Again, the protective flap 54 also tries to maintain its bent condition, and will re-place itself over the pouring lip 72 when the roof panel 34 is pushed back to its closed position.

Thus, all of the surfaces which the contained liquid passes over are protected from contamination when the container is in either its closed or open condition.

The pouring lip never needs to be touched by the fingers to effect the opening or closing of the container, by even themost inexperienced user.

Since the apices 61 of the ears 62, 63, 64 and 65 lie in a common plane, parallel to the base of the container, they form a stable platform for stacking one container upon the other, as seen in FIGURE 2.

At the same time the sloping configuration of the roof panels 32, 33, 34 and (31-35) causes them to shed all moisture or drip, and prevents accumulation of water on the container top.

Since these containers can be easily stacked, their base area is not as important as with non-stackable containers, in places where space is at a premium.

It is therefore possible to give them a squat shape, that lends itself to storage on shelves spaced a normal distance apart in the home refrigerator, instead of confining their storage to a single high-clearance area, as is necessary with the present tall, non-stackable, container.

As an example, one of my containers, 3%" square, can be made with a side panel height of only 4 /2" for the quart size, and 7 /2 for the half-gallon size.

Again, due to the convenient finger holes 52 in the cars 62 and 63 it is easy to lift and carry this container, even in the half-gallon size, whereas the ordinary smooth sided container is often hard to lift and hold if the sides are wet.

It will now be clear that there has been provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense, as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A unitary dispensing container of plasticized fiberboard, or the like, comprising, a tubular body having a bottom closure thereon and four side panels of substantially equal width; a plurality of panel extensions corresponding to said side panels, said extensions being scored and folded to form a top closure for the container, comprising, a pair of opposed triangular side roof panels, inclined toward each other; a pair of opposed isosceles trapezoidal front and rear roof panels, inclined toward each other, and abutting the side roof panels; each of the abutting roof panels being joined through two flanking triangular sections formed integral therewith and folded upon themselves, face to face, to define substantially triangular, twoply, upstanding ears having their apices lying in a common plane parallel to that of the bottom of the container, the ears bounding the inclined edges of the rear roof panel having finger holes centered therein; the front trapezoidiform roof panel having a substantially rectangular extension along its upper edge, scored and folded upward and downward against itself and then outward, to define a two-ply upstanding lip having a downwardly inclined pull tab lying against the upper face of the front roof panel; the rear trapezoidiform roof panel having a rectangular extension along its upper edge, scored and folded upward and downward over the upstanding lip, to define a protective covering therefore; the several opposed faces of the ears, lip and protective flap being heat sealed to form a liquid-tight closure that may be easily opened by pulling forward on the pull tab, whereupon the seal between the protective flap and the lip is broken, leaving the front roof panel free to be tilted forward to form a pouring spout having the lip centered between two peeled back sections of the bounding imperforate ears.

No references cited. 

